The present disclosure relates generally to welding power sources, and more particularly, to systems and methods for providing auxiliary power at the location of the weld.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become ubiquitous in all industries. While such processes may be automated in certain contexts, a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. While the power requirements of the weld creation process remain central to a manual welding operation, additional auxiliary power requirements may also be necessary for weld joint preparation and clean up. For instance, lights, hand grinders, torch cooler pumps, and so forth, may require an additional 115V or 230V AC output.
Some welding power sources provide auxiliary AC outlets to meet this demand. However, the welding power source may be located far from the location of the weld creation. It is now recognized that this may inconveniently necessitate the use of extension cords that carry the auxiliary power from the welding power source to the location of the weld creation. It is now recognized that these extension cords contribute to power losses since the power may be transferred long distances. Additionally, since these extension cords terminate in the same general location as the weld cables used to power the weld creation process, it is now recognized that they contribute to cable clutter in and around the weld area. Further, inefficiencies may result from the use of such cables due to misplacement, borrowing, and theft of the extension cables.